Search results page : Google search basics - Web Search Help
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Results page full overview

The basics

Each blue underlined line is a search result that the Google search engine found for your search terms. The first item is the most relevant match we found, the second is the next most relevant, and so on down the list. If you click the title of any result, you'll be taken to that webpage.

Overview of the search results page


Did you search by image? Your results page will be different than what's described below! See an overview of the results page for Search by Image.

Here's a quick guide to all the elements and tools that you'll find on a Google search results page. Click these links to learn more:

1   Header 2   Search bar 3   Search results
4   Tools & filters 5   Ads 6   Bottom of the page



Header

Google products bar
See links for various Google services and a more menu for additional services not listed. Use these links to navigate to Gmail and other Google products.

Gear
Click the gear icon gear icon to access your Search settings (like search language and the number of results you'd like to see per page), iGoogle, the Privacy Center, or your Web History. If you're signed in, you'll also be able to see your Google Account settings (like your sign-in email address).

Sign in & out
Sign in to a Google Account to personalize your search experience. If you're signed in to your Google Account, the email address and profile picture, if you have one, associated with your account will be shown on the top of the page.

Click your email address and select Profile to view your Google profile or create a profile if you don't already have one. If you share a computer and don't want others to have access to your Google Account, be sure to always click your email address and select Sign out when you're finished using the computer.

Web history
If you're not signed in, your search results can still use customizations. When you're signed in to a Google Account, you can manage your web activity and remove items from your web history at any time. To access your Web History click the gear icon gear icon at the top of the page, then select Web History. Learn more about Web history.


Search bar

To do a search on Google, just type in a few descriptive search terms, then hit Enter on your keyboard or click the Search button. If you have Google Instant enabled, results may appear dynamically as you type.

Advanced search
For more precise searches, click this link to enter more details about what you're looking for. Learn more about advanced search.

Google Instant
If Google Instant is enabled, you'll see a link beside the search bar, indicating that the feature is on. You can disable Google Instant at any time by clicking the link and selecting "Off (Press Enter to search)." Learn more about Google Instant

SafeSearch
If you previously set SafeSearch to strict or no filtering, you'll see a link beside the search bar that you can click to change your setting. You won't see the link if you're using moderate filtering which is set by default. Learn about SafeSearch settings and how to change them.

Search statistics
See the total number of results and how long the search took to complete.

Google logo
On special occasions, you may see a new Google Doodle for the day. Customize your page and choose your favorite doodle to show on your results page.


Search results

A typical result

Google magnifying glass
Enables users to search the Web, Usenet, and images. Features include PageRank, caching and
translation of results, and an option to find similar pages.
www.google.com/ - Cached - Similar

  • Title: The first line of any search result is the title of the webpage. Click the title to reach that webpage.
  • Snippet: Below the title is a description of the webpage and can include an actual excerpt of text from the page. Your search terms will appear in bold to make it easier for you to decide if the page has what you're looking for.
  • URL: In green, you'll see the web address of that result's webpage.

Cached
Google crawls the web and takes snapshots of each page. When you click Cached, you'll see the webpage as it looked when we last indexed it. The "Cached" link won't appear for sites that haven't been indexed or for any sites whose owners requested that we refrain from caching their content.

Similar
Click Similar to see other websites that are related to that result.

Indented results
When Google finds multiple results from the same website, the most relevant result is listed first, with other relevant pages from that site indented below it. If we find more than two results from the same site, the remaining results can be accessed by clicking the More results from link.

Integrated results
Google's search technology looks for the most relevant information across all types of internet content, so your results can include images, maps, videos, news articles, books, and more.

Instant Previews
Click the magnifying glass icon magnifying glass next to the search result to see what a webpage is like before clicking on the result. Learn more about Instant Previews

+1 your results
Like a certain search result? Click the +1 button next to any search result or ad to like, agree with, or recommend it. Learn more about +1's


Tools & filters

The panel along the side of your results page will show a location as well as dynamically show the search modes and filters that are most useful for your particular search. Use these tools to filter and customize the results you see. 
  • Location: The location used to customize your results is clearly indicated on the left side of your results page. Our location detection technology will automatically set a location for you, or you can easily specify an alternate location. Learn more about location

  • Type of content: Limit your results to a particular type of web content like Images, News, or Discussions. Or, stick to the default, Everything, to see results of all types of content.

  • Recommended tools: Limit the results to content that is more personalized to you or that better suits what you're looking for. For example, see content from your friends (Social) or content from your geographical area (Nearby). See results in a new way, like chronologically (Timeline) or next to an image that previews each webpage in your search results (Page previews).

Learn more about these search options


Ads

      Ads

Download Google Chrome
Searching is fast and easy
with Google's web browser.
www.google.com/chrome
When you search Google, you'll often see text ads above and along the side of the search results pages. The ads are relevant to your search and can provide you with valuable information about what you're looking for. If there are no relevant ads to show with your search, then we won't you show any. Ad revenues help us bring you free products such as Search, Gmail, Google Maps, Google Docs, and more.

If you're interested in advertising your website on Google search result pages, click the See your ad here link and learn about the Google AdWords program.


Bottom of the page

Related searches
Sometimes the best search terms for what you're looking for are related to the ones you actually entered. Click these related search terms to see alternate search results.

More results
If the webpage or information you're looking for is not on the first page of search results, you can click Next at the bottom of the page to see more results.

Feedback
Unhappy with your Google results for a particular search? Have a great idea to improve search? Want to share a positive Google experience you've had? Click the Give us feedback link below the bottom search bar.

Tell us how we're doing: Please answer a few questions about your experience to help us improve our Help Center.